As a member of Salisbury Mayor Jacob Day’s START Task Force and of the Lower Shore Opioid and Addiction Coalition, Leslie Brown, CEO of Hudson Health Services Inc., knew the organization could be a fundamental part of any solution to the increasing trend in opioid abuse and overdose.

Hudson Health Services has been a beacon of hope in Wicomico County since it opened its doors in 1980. With more than 1,000 people a year walking through its doors seeking a new way of living, the nonprofit addiction treatment care provider has grown from a small treatment center for men to offering a full continuum of residential care, including an inpatient campus, halfway house and recovery housing.

The provider’s 48-bed, co-ed residential treatment campus is known for its tranquil, wooded property overlooking Johnson’s Lake in the heart of Salisbury.

The program incorporates therapeutic activities such as rhythmic drumming and yoga into an evidence-based treatment model that helps its patients begin to understand the biological and behavioral roots of the disease of addiction.

Several peer recovery specialists on staff help program participants plan for life beyond this first step of treatment by exposing them to outside recovery support groups.

Hudson Health Services recently opened a state-of-the-art admissions and administrative building not far from the residential campus. Here, the first order of business is to welcome new patients and restore hope and dignity.

The facility offers several licensed assessment counselors, shower and laundry rooms, food options, as well as initial medical evaluations for all admissions.

In order for the planted seed of recovery to flourish, safe, stable housing is key. The organization also operates several recovery houses in both Salisbury and Georgetown. The houses are staff-monitored and provide a level of accountability many find helpful in the early stages of recovery.

Residents of these houses are required to obtain employment and contribute to the house financially, as well as by doing chores and engaging in house meetings.

The most recent addition to Hudson’s continuum of care is the Union Halfway House for Women in Salisbury. At Union House, treatment is focused on improving level of functioning and coping skills.

Women living at Union have the unique opportunity to practice and integrate their recovery and new way of living in a residential, supportive environment until they are ready to do so on their own. They receive individual and group therapy, as well job readiness assistance and other remedial or introductory life skills, working with a dedicated case manager and a staffed live-in house manager.

Licensed by the state of Maryland and accredited by the Joint Commission, Hudson Health Services accepts the challenge to recognize and meet the needs of the community and continually evolve into a leader in behavioral health treatment locally.

Follow the Lower Shore Opioid & Addiction Coalition on Facebook, @LowerShoreCoalition, for more information on Lower Shore resources and events.